


Tame

by BirdOfHermes



Category: Hellsing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempted Sexual Assault, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Blood Drinking, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Future Fic, Human/Vampire Relationship, Humor, Loss of Virginity, Possessive Behavior, Repaying Debt, Rescue, Sharing a Bed, Teasing, Vampire Bites, Virginity Kink, alucard is trolling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-08-29 00:30:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16733589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirdOfHermes/pseuds/BirdOfHermes
Summary: Alucard saved your life, and in return, he just wants one teensy taste of your delicious virgin blood. That sounds perfectly reasonable, doesn't it? No, you didn't think so either. So a bargain is made instead.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I blame Abridged!Alucard for all of this, as well as TeamFourStar. This is based in modern day, with the Hellsing Ultimate continuity and maybe a little pinch of Abridged Alucard sprinkled on top for flavoring. It's just for fun, so try not to take it seriously.

__

_"The Bird of Hermes is my name_  
_Eating my wings to make me tame..."_

I was running for my life, but there was no escape.

My thighs ached with exertion and strain. I'd heard my skirt tear when I'd first broken into the sprint after a man grabbed me and tried to drag me into the alley behind the bar I'd just left. He'd slammed me into the wall, and it knocked my purse with my pepper spray loose. I'd clawed one side of his face with my nails and hit his eye, giving me just a few precious seconds to run. Tears clogged my vision and I'd made a wrong turn into a blind alley, and before I could go the other way, he'd found me.

No escape.

I glanced about the alley, searching for a weapon, but there were only tightly closed black garbage bags.

"You little bitch," he snarled, his left eye clamped shut with blood running down his pale face. "You're gonna pay for this. It's gonna be slow and it's gonna hurt. You'll scream for me before it's over."

My limbs shook. I'd run right out of my heels. I couldn't breathe.

But then my lips parted on their own.

"Fucking try it, you piece of shit."

His tongue slithered out of his mouth, and that was when I saw them.

Long, sharp white fangs.

Drool spilled from the corner of his mouth and his eyes suddenly glowed crimson in the moonless darkness. "My pleasure, sweetheart."

He simply appeared in front of me. I didn't see him move. I didn't hear footsteps.

Panicked, I threw a right jab, but he ducked. His fist crushed the air from my lungs and I hit the ground on my knees with a cry. He stood over me, laughing as I struggled to push to my knees. I heard his belt jingle as he undid his pants, his voice cruel as he sneered, "Open wide, sweetheart."

A shadow fell across the both of us.

"Good advice," a deep voice as smooth as whiskey said from behind the man.

Then a gloved hand reached out and crushed his throat like a silly straw.

The man choked and made a horrid gagging noise as the bones in his neck snapped and then blood rained down on my head, across my legs, my shoulders, sprinkling over my white button up shirt. His body twitched and then slumped to one side as the man tossed it into the wall.

With the dead man out of sight, I blinked away tears to look upon my rescuer.

He was tall. Maybe 6'5'' or taller. He wore a white button up shirt, black slacks, and a bright red overcoat that flapped even though no wind blew through the alley. Sooty black hair also rustled, covering most of his face, but I could see pale skin and...and...

Fangs.

Burning red eyes.

His sensual lips parted and that same smoky voice greeted me calmly with, "Madam?"

Before I knew it, I'd leapt to my feet and a scream tried to force its way past the lump in my throat.

In a flash, the stranger had me up against the brick wall with his gloved hand over my mouth, his other hand on my waist to hold me there. The scream came out muffled like a mouse's squeak and I froze, trembling from head to toe as panic returned in full force.

The stranger stared down at me with those fathomless blood-red eyes.

And then sighed in exasperation.

"Your fear," he said, taking a long, wistful breath I felt against my rib cage. "Is delicious. Like fine wine. But it's unnecessary. I just saved your life. I have no intention of harming you, sweet. However, I wish to ask you a question. I ask that you do not scream when I let go of you. It's quite irritating and I have sensitive hearing. Do you understand?"

I stared up at him in disbelief. He lifted an eyebrow. "I won't move my hand until you agree, madam."

Well, it wasn't like anyone had come to my aid when I was screaming bloody murder and running through the streets anyway. Might as well humor him. I nodded.

Slowly, he lifted his hand away from my mouth. I took a few deep breaths and licked my dry lips. He didn't try to hurt me. His head tilted to one side and then he asked, "Are you a nun?"

I blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. "Um. No."

His head tilted to the other side, more sharply, narrowing those inhuman eyes at me. "Then why are you still a virgin at your age, and with your beauty?"

I blushed harder than I'd blushed in months, possibly years. "Excuse me?"

"Your virginity is what drew this pissant," he said, gesturing to the dead man with a slight sneer. "I assumed you worked in a church."

"I'm not a nun," I spat. "I'm a bartender."

"Bartender," he said, still flummoxed. "How then, sweet?"

"Look, that's a long story and it's none of your business." Then I paused and realized how absurd it was that he'd changed the subject from a very important fact. "Also, _what the hell are you?_ "

The stranger chuckled. "Ah. Right. Forgive me, sweet. It's been a while since I've spoken to anyone. My name is Alucard. I am the No Life King."

"The...No Life King?" I said, trying not to gulp, my eyes wandering back to corpse. "Right. And...you're a..."

He gave me a patient look and lifted both eyebrows. "Go on. Say it."

I licked my lips again. "A...vampire, I take it?"

"Very good, sweet. Again, I remind you not to scream."

I stared at him. He stared back at me. I nodded once. "So I hit my head and died, right? Because this obviously isn't real and isn't happening, because vampires aren't real."

"You are injured," he confirmed. "But I assure you, you didn't die. However, standing in this freezing cold alley hurt will do you no good. Where is your home?"

"Across town," I muttered, shaking my head slightly and noting the sharp throbbing pain on the back of my skull. I'd hit my head when the other vampire slammed me into the wall. Ha-ha. Vampire. Yeah, right. I'd definitely gotten a concussion. I was seeing shit. Hearing shit.

My body abruptly tumbled forward towards the ground. The stranger caught me halfway there, and his arms were solid, strong, like tree limbs. He cradled me against his chest, that handsome face still impassive, and the world tried to act like a Tilt-a-Whirl all of the sudden.

"The adrenaline is wearing off," Alucard said, and his voice sounded like it was miles away. "You are hurt. Do I have your permission to enter your home?"

"I don't know you," I mumbled, my eyelids heavy. "Dangerous."

"I am dangerous," he agreed. "But not to you. Again, I ask. Do I have your permission to enter your home?"

My legs gave out. I was too tired to care anymore. "Yes."

Alucard scooped me up then. "Then rest, little virgin. You'll be home soon."

The world winked out.

-

I woke up in my bed.

My head pounded. It felt like someone was playing a drum solo on it. The back of my skull had a goose egg on it, no doubt. My ribs stung sharply with every breath and there were little scrapes along the bottoms of my feet. As soon as I woke, I wanted to go right back to sleep.

Then I sat upright in the bed with a panicked gasp as the night's events came rushing back.

"Aargh!" I cried out as my chest burned with red-hot pain.

A gloved hand reached out and pushed me down onto the pillows.

Alucard.

"Easy, little virgin," the vampire tutted. "It's too soon to be moving around."

"Y-You," I gasped out, scooting away from the side of the bed where he stood. "What are you doing here?"

Alucard lifted an eyebrow. "Tending to your wounds, sweet."

"I...you..." I glanced down at myself. I'd been wearing a black pencil skirt and white dress shirt. I now wore an oversized cotton tee shirt and boy shorts. "You _changed my clothes?_ "

He sighed again. "Humans. You and your priorities. You were soaked in the dead vampire's blood. Yes, I changed your clothes when I tended to your ribs."

I gritted my teeth and tried to think clearly past the panic and ridiculousness of what the hell was going on. "Okay, you know what? It's time to go, Tall, Dark, and Snarky."

He scowled at me. "I didn't take you for being ungrateful, little virgin."

"First off, stop calling me that," I snapped. "Second off, you _killed a man_ in front of me. Sorry if I'm not exactly ready to kiss your feet. I'm still not sure I didn't die in that alley. At the very least, I have a mild concussion and can't process information correctly."

Alucard leaned across my body and planted both hands on either side of me, looming into view until all I could see were those wild, crimson eyes. He smiled down at me as I shrunk back against the headboard, too scared to move away, too defiant to give him that satisfaction.

"Trust me," he purred. "Your eyes are working just fine, sweet. I am exactly what I appear to be. I saved your life. You owe me a debt, do you not?"

I gritted my teeth. "It was your choice to save me. Why should I owe you anything? I don't even know you."

He clucked his tongue. "Nonsense. I had you in my arms, unconscious, for several hours. I did not take advantage of you. I did not rob you. I brought you home safely, cleaned you up, and tended to your wounds. Do my actions not suggest my character?"

"Oh, they certainly do, Fangface," I said, my eyes unable to focus on anything aside from those glistening pearly whites so close to my skin. "Because the first thing you asked the traumatized, almost-raped woman after you saved her was if she was a nun. I think that tells me exactly what kind of favor you'd like in return for saving me."

Alucard chuckled. The sound was...unusual. I not only heard it, but... _felt_ it. Vibrations tickled down my throat, past my collarbone, and down into my shirt, pleasantly flowing over my breasts, my nipples, soothing my sore ribs. The hairs on my arms stood up, as did the ones on my nape. Magic. He'd definitely touched me with some kind of magic.

"It was merely my curiosity," he said. "I am not without chivalry, sweet."

"Sure you aren't."

"Such a sharp tongue. I like that in a woman." He licked his lips and exhaled more cool air that stirred the ends of my hair. "No, madam, I do not expect your maidenhead in return. I'm far more interested in that rich sacrament in your veins instead. I am parched. Let me drink from you and I'll be on my way."

I stared at him in disbelief. "You want to drink my blood."

"Most emphatically."

"What part of 'I watched you kill a man' are you not getting?"

"I offer you no harm. I will only drink a few ounces, if that. It's been a long time since I've had a virgin's blood. It's the sweetest of all."

"You're crazy."

"I'm an immortal," he drawled. "Of course I'm crazy."

"The answer is no."

Alucard didn't move away. He seemed to enjoy invading my space. My heart fluttered the longer he hovered there in front of me, inches away. He stared into my eyes as if trying to see down into my soul.

My lips tingled.

Eek.

"Then we are at an impasse, sweet," he said finally. "For I will not consider your debt repaid to me until you let me taste your blood."

"Oh, for--" I shoved him away from me and wriggled off the bed, ignoring the stabbing pain in my chest as I stood up and wobbled towards the nightstand.

"And just what do you think you are doing?" he asked as I rifled through it.

"Looking for my Bible," I snarled. "Aren't vampires afraid of crucifixes?"

 _"Crucifixes?"_ he sputtered, and then he threw his head back and laughed. Color filled my cheeks. He laughed and then flopped on my bed and laughed some more. Finally, it subsided into merry little giggles and he wiped his eyes.

"Sweet," he said, mirth in his mocking tone. "I am not that kind of vampire."

"Well, what if I rescind my invitation?"

"I am already here. Your space is my space. You cannot uninvite me."

"That's bullshit."

He shrugged. "I didn't make the rules."

"Then who did?"

Alucard paused, as if thinking it over. "Satan?"

"Goddammit," I growled, slamming the nightstand shut. "Look, there's got to be something else you want for saving my life. I'm not going to open a vein for a literal creature I met on the street. There is no guarantee you won't kill me in the process."

"Very well. That is your choice. But I am not leaving this apartment until you let me drink your blood."

"I'll call the cops."

"Call them."

I narrowed my eyes at him. He'd said it with way too much confidence. Oh, who was I kidding? If the guy could appear out of nowhere, had burning red eyes and sharp teeth, crushed a guy's neck like a grape, and his laugh was like getting to second base, then of course he could evade the police. Hell, he could probably turn himself invisible or walk through walls or something. No one would believe my story in the first place.

I sighed and paced the length of the bed. He watched me patiently, still wearing a bit of a smirk.

"Alright, I'll make you a deal," I said. "If you can convince me you're not a psychotic serial killer, then I'll let you drink my blood."

"You are so quaint, little virgin," he said, resting his chin on his hand, those crimson eyes twinkling.

"Take it or leave it, Fangface."

His gaze wandered to my throat, caressing my pulse. He licked his lips. "Very well, sweet. I shall try my best to tame myself for your sake."

He extended his hand. His fingers were long. There was a symbol on the back of the gloves, faded and worn with time, some kind of sigil perhaps. Something told me I'd regret my decision, but I still reached out and shook the monster's hand anyway.

Before I could draw mine away, Alucard yanked me into his lap and planted the briefest, lightest of kisses on my lips, capturing me with those mad eyes.

"And so it begins, little virgin."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Alucard get a little more...acquainted with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep in mind, I'm throwing some of the canon out the window about the state of his body, his powers, and other things because I feel like it.

"Why aren't you asleep, little virgin?"

"Oh, I don't know," I said, glaring up at him. And I do mean up. "Maybe because there's a killer vampire _levitating four feet over my bed_."

Alucard rolled over. In mid-air. _Somehow._ Just so he could give me another shiteating grin. "And whose fault is that?"

"Yours!" I snarled. "There's a couch! Use it!"

The vampire pursed his lips. "It is too small."

"I don't care! Aren't you supposed to sleep in a coffin anyway?"

"Your apartment is far too small to fit it in here."

I growled and turned my head again so I wouldn't have to look at that infuriating face of his. "Why do you even need to sleep in the first place?"

"I don't need to," he said. "But I enjoy it. It is natural to rest to allow the mind to reset."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. You're just doing this to fuck with me."

"That also," he confirmed cheerfully.

"Asshole."

Alucard just chuckled in return. I lay there fuming for a while. My ribs still stung and there was a huge bruise that ached high up on my stomach. There was no way to get comfortable any time soon. I'd taken something for the muscle pain, but the tightness in my shoulders and neck wasn't going anywhere with Tall, Dark, and Scary hanging around, just waiting for me to fall asleep. He'd given me his word that he wouldn't hurt me or try to sneak my blood while I slept, but it wasn't like I could trust it, or him.

After all, what good is the word of a monster?

I sighed. "Well, since I'm up, might as well ask: where did you come from?"

"That is a long tale. And it would give you nightmares for the rest of your life."

"Fine. Why are you here, in this city?"

"Hunting."

I thought that over. "So you kill your own kind?"

"Among other things."

I nibbled my lower lip and fidgeted a bit. "Did that other vampire really seek me out because I'm a...you know?"

"Yes. Your blood has a unique scent. It is strong enough to be smelled from miles away."

I shuddered. "That's not creepy at all."

I could hear the smile in his voice. "It is an easy enough problem to fix, sweet."

I blushed. "Pervert."

Alucard laughed. "You have no idea."

"This is not in any way changing my mind about you being a psychotic murderer, Fangface."

"My apologies. It is quite important to me that you view me as entirely sane and rational." Sarcasm coated every word after his "apology." He punctuated the statement by reaching down and dragging his finger over the length of my spine. I shrieked in alarm and batted the wandering limb away. He laughed again, teasing and mocking all in one unnerving sound. I drew the covers up higher over me and shut my eyes, determined by sheer will power to fall asleep just so he couldn't continue entertaining himself.

Well, I got my wish.

_"Open wide, sweetheart."_

I woke up with a scream on my lips. The vivid image of the vampire who had tried to kill me burned in my retinas. Cold fear turned my blood to slush in my veins. I clutched my legs tightly and buried my face in my knees, choking down a sob. I couldn't stop shaking. God. I'd almost died. I'd almost been violated by a monster, and I hadn't been strong enough to stop it. The things he could have done to me.

Tears leaked out and down my cheeks in rivulets, soaking the hem of my shorts. I couldn't stop them. I felt so small and weak and stupid. God, those horrible eyes. I'd see them for the rest of my life.

Behind me, the bed pitched as if underneath a heavy weight.

Then, Alucard touched me.

I jerked my head around, startled, having forgotten in my panicked, half-sleep state that he'd been there at all. He sat behind me now, his long legs on either side of me so that I was nearly in his lap. I couldn't quite read his expression through the tears swimming in my eyes. He wasn't smiling, at least. He'd swept my hair over my shoulder; an odd gesture. Then he settled both of those massive, powerful hands on my shoulders.

And began rubbing them.

And...and it felt... _nice_.

His hands were cool to the touch, contrasting my hot, sweaty skin. I'd changed into a tank top before I went to sleep since I often suffered from night sweats and restless dreaming. He pressed his thumbs to my shoulder blades and pushed inward, then up into a half circle, his fingers working over the aching, tense muscles above them in an endless cycle. He'd ditched the gloves when he'd ditched that gigantic red duster, and his hands weren't as rough as I thought they'd be.

I wanted to tell him to go away, but my throat was too tight. It probably wouldn't have mattered anyhow. I doubt he'd have listened. So instead I turned around and pressed my forehead into my knees, shutting my eyes and trying to calm down. My tears dried on their own after a while, and the memory of the assault faded back into the recesses of my mind.

After he felt me calming, Alucard once again scooped me up in his arms and laid me on the bed, drawing the covers up to my shoulders. He disappeared around the other side, but this time he crawled in with me rather than hovering over it. I couldn't find the energy to fuss at him after what he'd just done, so I just closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

-

Sunlight nudged me awake. I still had a headache, but it didn't roar and pound as it had when I'd regained consciousness last time. The knot on my skull throbbed with discomfort, so I kept still until some of the pain drained away. My sinuses hadn't liked the crying fit; they too had a dull ache. I felt like ten miles of bad road, and suspected I probably looked as shitty as I felt.

Oh, and I still had to deal with the marauding vampire in my apartment.

God, what is even my life right now?

I peeked over my shoulder at him. Alucard had stretched out onto his back across my mattress, one arm flung over his eyes, still as an oil painting. I realized why a second later. He wasn't _breathing_.

Some random instinctual impulse made me roll over and hover beside him, concerned, until his lips parted. "I do not have to breathe, sweet. Relax."

I shook my head at myself. Vampire. Duh. "Sorry. Reflex."

His lips curved up in a smile. "Worried about me?"

"You wish," I grumbled. "It'd be hard to roll your giant corpse out of my apartment if you died."

"I'd never dream of being such a bother to you," he deadpanned.

"So you're not going to burst into flames or anything if I open a window, right?"

"Wishful thinking, little virgin. Sunlight is merely irritating, not deadly, to me."

I sighed. "It's like everything Bram Stoker taught me was a lie."

"I'm sure you'll find some way to persevere."

I chewed on my lip as my thoughts traveled back to last night. "Thank you. For last night. I don't know why you did it, but...thanks anyway."

Alucard sat up in a smooth movement and regarded me with a careful look. "You do not know why I did it?"

I shook my head. His eyes narrowed. "Which part?"

"Either part."

He gripped my chin in his hand and leaned a little closer, scrutinizing me. "You are not incompetent. You know why. Why do you refuse to accept it?"

My heart rate accelerated. He trapped me in those accusatory eyes and I couldn't move an inch. "I...don't know."

"You don't know," he repeated scornfully. "You disappoint me, little virgin. No matter. Apparently, there are things I must teach you before I leave your company."

I blinked at him. "Like what?"

Alucard gave me a mysterious little smile. "You'll find out soon enough."

With that, he let me go and stood up. "Now shower. You smell."

I threw my pillow at him. It stopped mid-air an inch from his face and then rebounded right at my head. I ducked, seething, and he just laughed and glided out of my room on bare feet. Jerk.

I did in fact shower, though I stopped about once every couple of minutes to check that the pervert hadn't snuck his way into the bathroom to watch. When I walked out into the den, Alucard was on the couch watching television. He flicked his gaze over at me, and it held over my bare legs for quite some time before he opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.

"If you say, 'you look good enough to eat,' I'm going to stab you," I told him as I padded into the kitchen.

"Promise?" he purred.

I didn't give him the satisfaction of an answer. I dug around for breakfast items: coffee, bagels, bacon, and eggs. While the coffee brewed and the bacon broiled, I checked my phone for information.

First, there was no report of a dead body outside of my bar. Even though I knew the bar didn't open until noon, I still didn't see anything reported in the city about a murder. So what had happened to the body? Did it evaporate? Did Alucard dispose of it? Hell, did I even want to know?

Second, I started Googling information about concussions and hallucinations. After all, this entire situation could be a figment of my imagination. Maybe Alucard was just a by product of getting my head bashed into a wall and I was really in a coma on a hospital bed somewhere. Nothing seemed to pop on the subject, though. Even if I had been seeing things, it wouldn't have lasted this long. Last night, I'd woken up a few hours after Fangface brought me home, and I'd slept at least eight hours into the morning.

Whatever was happening was...real.

Yikes.

I rubbed the sore spot on my skull absently, frowning at the phone. But how was he real? I'd never seen hide nor hair of anything supernatural being real my whole life.

"You are going to agitate the wound," Alucard said directly into my left ear. I squealed and dropped my phone, jumping away from him in alarm. He smirked down at me and scooped up the phone before I could, giving it a once over.

"How cute," he mused. "You really do think you have gone insane."

"Can you blame me?" I said, holding out my hand. "Why have I never heard of vampires before last night?"

"There are organizations devoted to concealing us from the public," he said, ignoring me and swiping through my phone as if he owned the damn thing. "I worked for one such organization a lifetime ago, in fact. It is better for humanity to stay in the dark."

Growling, I lunged for the phone, but he simply held it over my head with another sharp-toothed grin as I tried to grab it on my tiptoes. "How can you be centuries old and yet you're this immature? Would you just give it back already?"

"Say please," the infernal ass of a vampire said.

I threw up my hands and stomped towards the coffeemaker as it beeped. "Fine, keep it. See if I care."

"Are you always this ornery in the morning, little virgin?"

"Only because you're here." I poured myself some coffee with a little cream and sugar, and then sipped at it while it cooled, hoping it might clear my aching head. No such luck. I hadn't really thought it would.

The air behind me stirred, and then I felt Alucard's fingertips rest on my hair. My scalp tingled momentarily and then the swollen bump simply vanished along with the pain. Again, it startled me, but I didn't drop the coffee this time--merely spilled some on my hand. I put the mug down, shaking my soaked fingers, and touched the now-smooth part of my head in disbelief as I faced him.

"How'd you--"

"Mere child's play," he sniffed. "You should have told me earlier it was bothering you, sweet."

"How many other things can you do?"

His hellish eyes gleamed. "Many."

He caught my coffee-drenched hand and before I could move an inch, slipped my index finger into his mouth.

A strangled noise of pure embarrassment escaped my lungs. His skin had been cool, but his tongue was very hot and very wet, and somewhere in the milliseconds it took him to lick my finger, his teeth were no longer all incisors, but normal ones. He could shapeshift at the drop of a hat, it seemed. If he'd wanted to, he could have let one of those fangs nick my finger to get my blood, but he didn't. He just gave me a little mocking smirk as he sucked the coffee off and released the digit with a wet little pop.

"Needs more sugar," Alucard confirmed, stealing my mug and turning towards the cabinet. I felt a blush consuming me from my neck up to my hairline as he hummed something and stirred some sugar into the pilfered coffee, then strode into the den as if nothing happened.

Once I calmed down, I made another mug for myself and finished fixing breakfast. I pointedly sat on the opposite end of the couch to eat while the vampire lazed about watching Looney Tunes, of all things. He even chuckled a few times at Bugs Bunny's antics.

"Why'd you steal my coffee? I thought vampires only needed blood to live."

"If I've fed recently enough, my body behaves like a human's. I can still taste and consume things if I so desire. I happen to like coffee. And alcohol."

A little chill went through me. "So you'd fed shortly before you saved me last night?"

He flicked that scarlet gaze over to me. "What do you think, sweet?"

I shifted in my seat. "Did you..."

He kept up the unnerving, unblinking stare. "Go on."

I swallowed hard. "...eat the dead vampire?"

Alucard's stare pulled me out of my body. I felt like I'd fallen down into an abyss until he finally answered. "No. I can't abide the taste of such a filthy creature. The only time I feed upon my own kind is to consume them as a part of myself or to absorb their memories. I had no need of either from him."

Some of the tightness in my spine relaxed. "Oh. Then when was the last time you fed?"

His lips tilted up at one corner. "Believe it or not, some human women find me attractive. I show them a good time and feed if they are willing. If not, there are unsavory men to feed my hunger. The monsters of your society have kept me well-fed, in fact."

So the murderer part had been confirmed. I tried not to let the fear creep onto my features. It struck me as a very bad idea to let Alucard think of me as prey. He already wanted a taste, but he claimed he only wanted a sample. If I acted too afraid of him, it might bring his predatory nature right to the surface. I could see it in his eyes. Calculations. Hunger. Need. On the surface, he was a frustrating, alluring fop. Beneath it, darkness and lust lurked, both for sex and for blood. I'd have to do my best not to tempt it.

"I guess I've heard worse things," I said with a level, calm voice. "Circle of life."

"And death," he murmured, his gimlet eyes glowing briefly. "Does it disgust you to know, sweet?"

I shook my head. "None of my business. Not my place to judge."

"And whose place is it? Are you a believer, little virgin? Is that why you have kept your maidenhead intact?"

I blushed. "Do you have to keep calling it that?"

Alucard grinned. "I have other terms I can use, if you prefer."

"I don't," I snapped before he could give me an example. "And no. That's not why."

He settled his head on his hand again and narrowed his eyes. "You are a peculiar creature."

"You're one to talk. We both know you're not telling the truth. You didn't have to agree to my suggestion. You're a thousand times stronger than me. You can take what you want at any time. Why are you humoring me?"

Alucard didn't speak for a while. We just stared at each other. Finally, he answered. "You are interesting. I have no desire to violate you simply because I can. It does not interest me to take from you what I believe will be freely offered in time."

I snorted. "A monster with morals. Go figure."

I froze as I realized I'd said that out loud. Shit. Sure, provoke the god-like immortal who had just saved your life and freely confessed to being a serial killer who fed on evil men. Genius.

"Monster," Alucard drawled. "How I've missed the title."

I tried not to let the relief show. I hadn't offended him. Thank Christ. Better watch it next time.

"Although, little virgin, you did not seem to find me so monstrous last night," he continued, the smirk returning. "I even slept next to you and you did not protest."

I crossed my arms over my stomach. "Your point?"

"You fear me. I know this. And yet you allowed me to lie with you. Why?"

I took a deep breath as I gathered our coffee mugs and headed back towards the kitchen. "Even monsters have their uses."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have to drop off your rent check to your gross, shitty, sexist landlord. It does not go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written anything all week, and the guilt made me write something. So...yay?

"Where are you going, little virgin?"

I sighed as I fluffed my hair in the reflection of the microwave. It was no use. He was going to call me that until I eventually got rid of him. Might as well accept it.

"I have go pay rent."

Alucard lifted an eyebrow. "That's when you pay for where you live--"

"I know what rent is," he said with mild amusement and annoyance. "I thought that sort of thing was done online."

I winced. "Normally, it is but..."

I just sighed. "Long story. I'll be back. Please don't burn my place to the ground."

"Well," he said, tilting his head in my direction. "Only because you said please."

I rolled my eyes, grabbed the paper check off the kitchen table, and left the apartment.

The landlord, to put it bluntly, was an asshole. He was the very definition of a dirty old man. However, he'd somehow been lucky enough to acquire these apartments that were within spitting distance of the busy downtown area and thus he considered himself to be king of the castle. Everyone knew that the name of the game was "keep him happy or he'd raise your rent." I'd seen tenants have to leave in as short as three days when the dickhead threw a hissy fit and jacked up their rent. As if that we're bad enough, he made you drop the rent checks off in person just so he could hear you suck up to him. He was especially bad with women, married or unmarried, but the unmarried ladies got the worst of it. I had to mentally prepare myself each time the first of the month came through. I wanted to bail, but my apartment was within walking distance to the bar and I saved a ton of money on transportation as a result. For now, it was just another burden.

I took a deep breath. "You're an adult. An adult who doesn't want to either live on the street or move in with a vampire. You can handle him."

I knocked on the door. An eight-cigarettes-a-day voice barked out, "Come in!"

I twisted the knob and stepped inside Mr. Beaker's office. As always, it was like walking into a sauna. Not only did he keep it hot in here for some reason, the entire room was swathed in cigarette smoke strong enough to knock out a horse. Even breathing through my mouth gave me little relief.

Mr. Beaker sat behind his desk, tie at half-mast, puffing away at a cig. Ashes clung to his salt and pepper mustache. Coffee stains blotched his beer gut. His fat fingers punched at an outdated laptop as he squinted at it, muttering and frowning until he glanced up at me. His lips parted in a sleazy smile.

"Well, hello there, darling," he said, and the words oozed across the floor towards me. "I've missed you."

"Hello, Mr. Beaker," I said in as friendly tone as possible while suppressing the urge to vomit. "I have this month's rent check."

His beady eyes gleamed. "Well, bring it on over here, girlie."

I forced my legs to take the strides to his desk and offered it to him. He plucked the check from my hand and glanced it over. We both knew there was nothing wrong with it. He just wanted to keep me here longer. Prick.

"Everything seems to be in order," he said, folding the check and tucking it in his shirt pocket. "By the way, I thought maybe I heard some commotion. The mail guy said you had a guest?"

I stiffened, but kept my smile firmly in place. "Pardon me?"

"You know, it's not a very safe city," Mr. Beaker said, pushing to his feet. I tensed as he walked around to face me. He was a fat old geezer. I could bolt out the door no problem, but only if he didn't grab me first. Last night's attack tried to push its way to the forefront of my mind. Cold sweat gathered along the small of my back and along my forehead. I fought off a panic attack as he neared me.

"You should be careful about who you bring home, sweetheart," he said. "You never really know someone. You could get hurt."

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, hoping he couldn't hear the waver in my voice.

"Of course," he continued, and then reached out to stroke my arm. "It would be easier if someone had your back. I'd be happy to look after you if you needed it."

My heart thudded against my throat. I wanted to run. I wanted to kick him in the crotch first, but I still wanted to run. My head got light as his hand closed over my shoulder. "T-That's very generous of you, Mr. Beaker, but I think I'll be alright."

"You're young," he said, leering at me. "Maybe we should talk about it over dinner sometime."

A shadow fell over the both of us and then I heard the unmistakable predatory growl of Alucard.

"I am afraid that won't do."

Mr. Beaker yelped and jumped back, hitting his hips against the desk in a scramble to get away. Alucard had either been so stealthy that neither of us noticed him entering through the open door or he'd done something supernatural to appear without detection. The landlord's eyes bulged out in fear as he beheld Alucard, but it quickly turned to annoyance and anger. I almost did a double-take when I realized why: Alucard's normally red eyes were now a passive blue, so he looked human.

"Who the hell are you?"

Alucard gave him a sharp smile and gently settled his hand on my hip. "I have come to collect my lady. She is needed elsewhere."

Mr. Beaker scoffed. "You can't just barge in here, fella. This is my office. She's _my_ tenant."

As soon as the words left his mouth, I knew we were definitely in for it.

"Oh?" Alucard asked, lifting a dark eyebrow. "She is yours, you say?"

"Well, yeah," the little man said, puffing up a bit. "She's been here three years. Who the hell are you?"

"Mm, yes, I suppose that is a very valid question," Alucard said silkily. "Who am I?"

"Alucard," I whispered. "Don't."

He sighed wistfully. "Yes, I suppose it would be a very lengthy discussion, would it not? Perhaps I can put it into terms that this obsequious weasel can understand."

I flinched. Mr. Beaker's face reddened. "What did you call me?"

"An obsequious weasel," Alucard repeated. "Do not tell me you are hard of hearing in addition to being a slimy cad."

"Who the hell do you think you are? You come into _my_ apartment complex, barge into _my_ office, and insult me in front of _my_ tenant?" he snarled. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call security to have your pale ass thrown out onto the sidewalk?"

Alucard chuckled. "Oh, how I wish you had the nerve to do so. Such things I would do to you. Things that would make you renounce your Christian god and all his acolytes. But you will not do that, little man."

"Won't I?" Mr. Beaker sputtered.

"No," Alucard said softly. "You will not. And do you know why?"

"Shock me with the truth," the landlord said, gesturing towards him.

Alucard stepped towards him. "You are a spineless, pathetic, lonely bully. You prey on those less fortunate than yourself. You feed off of their desperation. You assert your faux male bravado to get them to comply. You force your disgusting attentions upon innocent women to hide your waning libido and failings to attract the opposite sex. You work a pointless profession in a desperate attempt to keep from stepping upon a chair with a noose around your neck, because any human contact is better than none at all. Worst of all, you know you have nothing left to do but this distasteful display. You have no family and no friends, for you are a foul-tempered braggart and no one would have you in their presence for more than mere seconds, and this is the only interaction you have left."

Damning silence fell. Mr. Beaker stared at him, pale, sweaty, mouth agape. Alucard had been steadily creeping closer with every vicious word and now towered over him where he stood hunched in front of the wall. For a second, I worried the vampire would rend him into hamburger meat, but in the end, he just let out another dry chuckle.

"However, it is not my burden to deal with you. Life has already dealt with you. You will not call the authorities. What you will do is apologize to this woman upon whom you have thrust your reprehensible attentions and you will never again touch a woman without her explicit permission or I will darken your doorstep a second time with immeasurably less pleasant results."

Mr. Beaker swallowed hard and glanced at me. "I-I'm sorry, miss."

Alucard cocked his head slightly. "A meager apology considering the damage done to her character, but it will suffice."

He turned and stalked away, catching my wrist along the way and dragging me behind him. I got one last glimpse of Mr. Beaker as we left, and I'd seen ghosts that had more life left in them than him. He was well and truly scared. I'll be damned.

We rode the elevator back up to my apartment in caustic silence. I stood there, arms crossed, attempting to remain calm while we were still in public. "Why did you leave the apartment?"

"You instructed me not to burn it down," Alucard said. "You did not say I couldn't leave."

"Why did you do that?" I asked quietly. "I could be thrown out on the street tomorrow."

"You will not be thrown out. That I promise."

I shoved a finger in his face. "That wasn't your fucking call, Alucard. Maybe you don't care because you're an immortal basket-case, but I have a life and I don't need you fucking it up by sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

_BAM!_

I didn't register the movement. Just the cavernous sound of Alucard's huge hands slamming against the wall behind my head, on either side of me. He didn't pin me with his immense stature, but he stood close enough that I felt his hot breath on my neck. I kept perfectly still.

"Do you understand what that man could have done to you?" Alucard murmured in my ear, his voice disturbingly calm and oh-so-quiet. "It would not have taken very much. His office is secluded. He does not have many visitors. He could have easily incapacitated you and taken advantage of you. It would be nothing to him. Nothing at all."

I swallowed. "You don't know that."

Alucard laughed softly. "I know the dark recesses of the worst humans imaginable. It was not beyond the realm of possibility."

I guided my gaze up to meet his finally. He wore a carefully blank expression, but his now red eyes glowed with the intensity of burning coals. "So what? I should thank you now?"

"Do as you wish, little virgin. That is your right. But do not be that foolish again. You underestimate the world around you. Here be monsters."

"Takes one to know one."

Alucard nodded slightly. "Yes."

He leaned in suddenly and I flinched away, alarmed, but then he just rubbed his cheek along mine. Bewildered, I held still. "What the hell are you doing?"

"That little worm's scent lingers," he growled, angling his face towards my neck. "It annoys me."

"And?"

He kissed my throat. My knees almost gave out. My jaw dropped in shock.

"I wish you to smell of me instead," he whispered against my skin. His long, lanky frame rubbed against me, pressing me into the wall of the elevator, for just a moment. And for just a moment, it wasn't the worst sensation in the world. Maybe. Kind of.

"Alucard," I mumbled, flushed from the sudden attention, unsure of what to do or say.

"Hmm," he rumbled, nuzzling my hair. "You should not say my name in such a way, sweet. I am not beyond temptation."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. I felt Alucard's lips tilt up in a smile.

"Saved by the bell, little virgin."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Alucard may have just found your breaking point, and it's not what you thought it would be.

After our little episode in the elevator, I decided to flee to clear my head, so I ran errands once I made sure the vampiric nuisance wouldn't leave the apartment to cause further chaos in my life. Once he found out I was going to the supermarket, he gave me a list of demands and I just caved in rather than bothering to argue with him. The normalcy of my grocery shopping routine helped keep me distracted so I wouldn't think about whatever vibe he and I had been on not too long ago in that elevator.

He wasn't in the den when I returned, which made me frown. "Alucard?"

No answer. Shit. I put the groceries away first and then opened my bedroom door. No sign of him there either. Great. He'd absconded. Then again, maybe that was a good thing. Maybe he'd gotten bored enough to leave me be and I could get back to a semi-normal life.

I turned to head back to the living area, and stopped dead.

My bathroom door was open.

Alucard was taking a freaking bubble bath.

"Ah," he said as he spotted me. "Welcome home, little virgin."

One of the perks of my apartment was that it had a garden tub in it rather than a regular tub, and that was the only reason this gangly motherfucker had managed to fit himself inside it. Even so, his whole upper body rested against the clean tile walls, exposing his chest all the way to his sternum, and his feet stuck out at the other end. Pale, smooth, glorious skin shone under the water and the suds clung rather lovingly to his muscles. I could complain about the monster all I wanted, but he was a very, very attractive monster nonetheless.

"What the hell are you doing?" I wheezed in disbelief.

"Taking a bath," Alucard answered. "Is that not obvious?"

"Why?"

"Because I got bored and I felt like it." He sunk a little further down into the hot water with a hum of pleasure. "And it is divine."

A lascivious smirk tugged at his lips. "Would you like to join me, sweet? There is room for two."

I sighed and massaged my temples. "When I die of a rage stroke, please remember to cremate me instead of burying me."

Alucard chuckled. "I shall make a note of it."

"Get out of my bathtub, vampire."

"No," he said petulantly, and then closed his eyes, resting his head back against the wall in defiance.

"I swear to God, I'll dump garlic all over you if you don't get out of there."

Alucard laughed then. "It will not harm me."

"Yeah, but then you'll just smell like garlic all day."

He scowled then and glared at me. "Even you would not stoop to such levels of immaturity."

I stared at him, then pointedly marched into the kitchen and returned with a jar of minced garlic. Alucard's crimson eyes flashed and his fangs peeked out as he sneered at me.

"You would not dare, little virgin."

I stepped into the bathroom and unscrewed the cap on the garlic. "Try me."

"If you dump that in here, I will eat you."

A laugh tried to escape my throat, as absurd as it sounded. It was probably a very real threat, but something about a grown man surrounded by fragrant bubbles making a threat just made it hilarious.

"You have three seconds, Alucard."

He tensed, but did not move. I held the jar over the bathtub. "Three. Two. One."

In a flash, Alucard had stood up and grabbed my wrist, towering over me with a feral growl in his throat. He'd seen my hand tilt as if to drop the garlic in as intended.

"You," he rumbled, leaning down until we were inches apart. "Are foolishly stubborn, little virgin."

"I don't bluff," I told him. "Ever."

His jaw twitched for a moment, but then his shoulders shook with silent laughter. "Apparently not. I have killed for much less than this, just so you know."

"Ooh," I deadpanned. "I'm shaking in my boots."

Alucard used my wrist to drag me closer to him, and I let out a little yip of surprise. Vapor curled up from the tub, meaning it had to be lava-hot but it wasn't like it mattered to its undead occupant, and from Alucard's pearly white skin as well. His brilliant eyes were all for me now, pupils dilated, his lips set in an almost feline smile that felt so sexual I blushed off that alone. He was far too tall for me not to notice the breadth of his wide shoulders and the definition in his pectorals and the sculpted perfection of his abs. Thankfully, I wasn't so short that I'd get an eyeful of his genitals, but a maddening itch to glance down struck me once we were only inches apart.

"Are you?" he whispered, wrapping his other arm around my back. Hot, wet spots bled through my t-shirt and onto my skin beneath it. "Are you shaking right now, little virgin?"

His smile stretched wider. "Yes, I believe you are."

"How about I shake this garlic into your hair?" I said with confidence I in no way felt.

"You are the only woman in a century to threaten me with a harmless vegetable."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Wait, someone did it in a previous century?"

"I have led a very strange life."

"No shit, Sherlock. Now let go."

"I will let go when you stop threatening me with the vegetable."

I rolled my eyes and screwed the cap back on the garlic. He let go of my wrist, but not the rest of me. "Your heart is beating so quickly, sweet. Tell me why that is."

"There is a self-professed, supernatural mass murderer standing in my bathtub."

"Are you certain that is the only reason?" he whispered.

A drop of water that had been clinging to his chin finally fell and splashed onto his collarbone, making a slow path down his chest, and it took everything in me not to watch its journey. "Yep. Only reason."

_Don't look down. Don't look down, you fool._

But I wanted to.

Shit.

I didn't realize how close our faces were to each other until I felt his warm breath on my cheek as he tilted his head. The wet edges of his wily hair continued dripping onto my shirt as he hovered there inside my personal space as if contemplating something. My eyelids fluttered, wanting to shut for some reason. Something about the heat of the bathroom and heaviness of his gaze made me want to relax in his grip, like a lamb going limp in the lion's jaws, accepting the inevitable.

"I feel your hunger," Alucard murmured. "I feel like it like I feel my own. I am not the only one who needs to feed, am I?"

He plucked the garlic out of my hand and set it aside, then gripped both of my wrists. He gently laid my hands on his chest. My breath came in deep, shuddering gasps of excitement at the feel of such firm skin underneath my palms. My fingers came to life on their own, stroking the flawless expanse of muscles and marveling at them. He had pale nipples already hardened from my attentions and his chest continued rising with excited breaths that matched my own. Even as my brain screamed at me not to do it, I let my hands slide down towards his abs. His body was damn near art. It was just beautiful.

By the time my hands had gotten to his abs, his own had pulled my shirt up enough to run his fingers over the bare skin underneath, along the long line of my sides. It was somehow soothing and agitating me at the same time. I wanted more. I wanted to touch him more. I wanted him to touch me more.

But at what price?

 _Remember,_ my brain urged. _Remember what happened the last time you trusted someone like him._

His lips brushed mine.

I jerked back with a small, hurt cry. Alucard gave a start and let me go immediately, his expression torn between puzzlement and concern. I spun around before I could get a good look at the rest of him and shut my eyes, slowing my breathing as a panic attack tried to creep up through me. The water splashed and I heard his footsteps, but I called out, "Don't."

He froze. "Sweet?"

I hugged myself tightly. "Sorry. I...can't. Look, I've had enough of this charade. You win. Just...get dressed and I'll give you my blood so you can go, alright?"

I strode from the room before he could answer, more terrified than I'd been when he found me in that alley.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Alucard accept the offer of your blood, and if he does, what will be the consequences?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: short chapter, but hopefully you still like it.

"So how do we do this?"

It hadn't taken long for Alucard to dry off and dress himself, but I could tell he'd taken his time on account of me being upset. A courteous vampire. Who knew?

I stood in the kitchen, chopping veggies to go in the pot roast, not glancing up as the vampire glided towards me. Like me, he seemed comfortable barefoot. Not sure why it surprised me, but it did. 

"Do I just crack open a vein and drip it into a shot glass or something?"

"I would prefer you not do that, for you are not medical personnel and very well could bleed yourself to death," he said frankly. "I, however, know which points I can drink from without causing irreversible damage."

"Of course," I said, scooping the carrots into a bowl and dumping them into the slow cooker. "So I just have to take your word for it that you won't kill me."

"Have I at all indicated an interest in your death?"

"How the hell should I know?" I muttered as I rinsed off my hands. "I only met you yesterday."

He reached out and caught my chin, and I froze. Alucard squinted down into my face, his expression cold and remote. "Have you learned nothing since I saved you, little virgin? Are you truly so deep into your denial that you think I would be so callous as to snuff out your life without a second thought?"

I batted his hand away. "You're an immortal. Why would a twenty-something have any idea what goes on inside your head? Especially after only one day? Especially after I watched you crush a monster's throat in your bare hand and then casually ask its victim a question afterward as if nothing happened?"

Alucard's eyes glowed then. "Do not use your youth as an excuse. There is more to this than what you are pretending to make of it. Why have you given in? Why have you relented so easily?"

"Because I'm tired! I'm tired of being on edge and irritated. So just get it over with and darken someone else's doorstep."

He slammed both hands down on the counter behind me. It rattled the cabinets, the stove, and the dishes. But not me. "You tire of nothing. You are afraid. Not of me, but of a man capable of seeing beneath your mask."

I slapped him. Hard. It hurt a great deal, but I didn't give a rat's ass. Alucard's face snapped to one side after the blow landed, but not much. He'd certainly felt it, at least, some smug part of me realized.

His long tongue slipped out and licked the spot my hand had hit and then he straightened, towering over me like always with those mad eyes blazing like an inferno. "Do you want the monster, sweet? Is that what you desire? To goad me into taking from you to prove to yourself that I am unworthy of you?"

I swallowed hard and couldn't seem to answer him. He'd seen right through me. Stupid of me to try and out-think an immortal. 

Alucard chuckled darkly. "Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps it would have been better to let that creature bleed you dry. Is that it? Do you want me to regret saving you in the first place, little virgin?"

Alucard pressed his face into my neck and inhaled my scent, his hard, lean frame pinning me against the counter. "It would not take long, you know. To kill you. To devour you. To drain every drop of blood from you and leave you cold and alone and empty. Is that what you want? Am I but a tool for your assisted suicide?"

He gripped a handful of my hair and yanked my head back until those burning eyes filled my gaze. There was nowhere to look but here. I was staring into the gates of hell. 

"Answer me, girl."

I licked my lips and drew in as much air as I could. "I don't want to die."

"No," he said slowly. "You do not."

"I want you to leave because I'm scared of what will happen if you stay."

"And what do you think will happen if I stay?"

I trembled from head to toe as the words slipped out of me at long last. "I'll sleep with you."

Alucard exhaled, as if he'd been longing to hear me say those words. "And why do you fear it so?"

"Because the guy I was going to lose my virginity to was cheating on me with my best friend."

Alucard stiffened, and his eyes widened. I'd genuinely surprised him. He let go of my hair and backed off somewhat, just a few inches. Then he sat me on the counter so we were almost the same height and all the traces of anger and frustration left his features. 

"It will hurt at first," he said. "But you will only feel it for a moment. Then you will feel ecstasy. Then you will feel tired. I will be gone by the time you wake."

Something in my gut stung sharply at his words. He touched my chin and leaned my face up and away from his, exposing my neck. I shut my eyes and clutched the edge of the counter, my pulse hammering away in my vulnerable throat. 

Alucard's soft lips brushed my ear. "If you change your mind, you have but to speak my name and I will appear to you again. Have a care. If you invite me here again, I will take your maidenhead. Your body will be mine for a night. I will sate you as many times as you ask it of me. This I promise."

He kissed my neck.

And then he bit me.

The only comparison I had to how it felt was like slicing my finger and getting my blood drawn at the same time. The pain was immediate and so sharp I cried out and grabbed his shoulders on impulse. My blood spilled out, but not a single drop got past his lips and tongue. He drank it, swallowing occasionally, lapping it up. Tears spilled from my eyes. I'd been an idiot to let him do this to me. He'd kill me this way.

Then, out of nowhere, bliss enveloped me.

I no longer felt the life draining out of me. Instead, I felt absurdly warm. Like a cold night in bed under a thick, fluffy comforter. My fingers loosened their grip on Alucard's shirt. I looped my arms around his neck and relaxed into his grip. So safe and warm and wanted here in his arms. Why had I resisted him for so long? 

My fingers absently wandered up into Alucard's dark hair. So soft. His chest rumbled with a moan. Apparently, he had a sensitive scalp for a vampire. 

I shivered as his hands stroked my sides and then he drew me closer in his embrace, until we were chest to chest. My blood had caused his own heart to beat at the same rate as mine. Curious. I'd never felt Alucard's heart beat before. I didn't know he had one. Small wonders.

At long last, he swallowed the final mouthful and then licked my neck clean. As he did, the wounds closed. By now, the sensation of serenity had slipped into a sudden sleepiness. 

Alucard sighed against my neck. "I was right to call you sweet all along."

He rose over me and brushed those soft lips over mine. "Farewell, little virgin."

I remembered the careful strength of him carrying me to bed, and then nothing else.


End file.
